Does The Climate Affect Your Skin?

Posted on: 16th Jun, 2017

Changing climate can affect our skin in lots of ways, and as we hurtle towards the British summertime it’s a great moment to start thinking about how! That’s why in this week’s blog we’re giving you the inside scoop on some of the ways your skin’s behaviour might change as the weather starts heating up. We’ll also cover how you can help it smoothly make the transition, so you never stop looking your best.

How Summer Affects Our Skin

We all know winter’s effects on our skin – the cold means it dries out faster, which can leave it dry, itchy and flaky. Happily, as you might expect, summer brings the exact opposite of this. Warmer climates are full of humidity, and the extra moisture in the air is fantastic for our skin. However, that doesn’t mean you should get complacent!

The sun is obviously far and away the biggest threat to our skin’s health during the summer months. Too much exposure to the sun’s UV rays can severely damage your skin, and in the worst cases even lead to cancer. This is why it’s always essential to apply sunscreen when you go out – even if you don’t think you need it.

The warmer climate can also lead to a higher rate of oil (or sebum) being produced by our skin’s sebaceous glands. This can combine with sweat and leave your skin feeling shiny and uncomfortable. What’s more, the perspiration can trigger acne breakouts and heat rash, especially if you have oily skin.

How To Protect Your Skin From Changing Climates

Thankfully, there are more than a few simple ways you can protect your skin during the warmer climes of May and June onwards. Dealing with the extra oil from your sebaceous glands involves reverting back to gel or foam cleanser to ensure thorough cleansing of the skin during your normal skincare routine. It’s also a great idea to change your moisturiser to one with a lighter consistency to help keep control of some of that extra oiliness.

We know we’ve touched on it already, but we seriously can’t stress the importance of sunscreen enough. We’ve gone into full details about the best ways to apply it in this blog post, but one of the key takeaways is that you should use sunscreen with at least Sun Protection Factor 30 to properly shield your skin. (Our Heliocare range of products are all SPF 50, otherwise known as Very High Protection.)

If you’re going on holiday anywhere, if you can it’s worth finding out as much about the weather as you can before you go. If you know you’re going somewhere cold like Norway or Canada, it’s worth beginning to moisturise several days before your trip, so you can hydrate your cells as much as possible.

And Finally…

Remember that summer doesn’t necessarily mean you need to immediately switch out all your normal skincare products, as not everyone’s skin responds to seasonal changes in the same way. Just keep an eye out for any warning signs in your skin – blemishes, marks or redness, for example – and change up your routine accordingly.

Of course, if you have any questions or need any advice, our experts at AP Skincare are always here to help! You can book an appointment by giving us a call on 01254 297 000, or by paying a visit to our skincare clinic in Blackburn.